Ruined Thaig (Exploration, II)

video walkthrough

D: You'll be met by a fierce Genlock force here, made up of warriors, archers, and even powerful leader-like enemies that will come to the fore during this battle. Since there are three of you in your party now, you won't be as outnumbered as you otherwise might have been, but still, this battle will challenge you. The good news is that once you've survived the onslaught, you'll have plenty of dead Genlock bodies to pick items and money off of. There are also plenty of containers, boxes and crates around the blazing fire to pick open, though you won't be able to open many of them unless you're of the Rogue persuasion.

E: You don't have to go down this way, but if you're being a thorough explorer, you inevitably will. Down here, you'll find a plethora of small, dinosaur-like enemies called Deep Stalkers. Slaughter these foes as they attempt to pincer you when you turn the corner of the path. These guys are aggressive, but they aren't incredibly powerful, so you don't have much to worry about here. Unfortunately, there aren't many items to find in their vicinity, but in a game like Dragon Age: Origins, one should never, ever turn down the opportunity to score some extra experience points. And during this battle with the Deep Stalkers, you'll manage to do just that.

F: Earlier, we promised you that you'd run into another companion to add to your party at some point during this origin story, and this is that point. This bow-wielding dwarf is known only as a scout, with no proper name, but he'll inform you that there are more enemies ahead, and that the area is rife with threats. His addition to your party will be a helpful one, since his bow will give your party its only long-range threat, which will come in handy during the fight ahead. And sure enough, that fight won't take long to find you, as you'll be ambushed by a group of Genlock, the most powerful enemy party you've yet faced in this origin story. Thankfully, your new party member should give you the edge you need to survive this battle. As usual, scour fallen bodies for goods, as well as the area around where the fight took place.

G: After crossing a bridge that allows your party to safely make it over a lava stream, you'll run into a hostile group of mercenaries. These mercenaries have bad news written all over them, and are clearly out for blood. After a brief exchange, you'll be thrust into battle with them. These guys will no doubt put up a better fight than the Giant Spiders, Deep Stalkers and Genlock you've so far done battle with. Indeed, the only time throughout this entire origin story where you might need to heal yourself mid-battle is now. Nonetheless, you and your three companions should be able to weather this storm, and you'll find yourself all the more powerful as a result. There will be plenty of freshly-slain corpses to pick clean, but make sure to hit up the commander of the mercenaries once he's fallen, since you'll need the ring on his person in order to proceed.